5 niche Online Marketplaces you should know about

Online Marketplaces can be divided into a few subcategories – there are your usual online mega malls like Flipkart and Amazon that sell you everything you might need under one virtual roof. There are also online auction companies like Tradus and eBay that work on a slightly different business model. But in online retail, the sky is the limit when it comes to finding marketplaces that cater to specific needs and product requirements.
Today you can buy everything from automobile spare parts to condoms online, through specific portals, and the list is pretty much endless. Here we have curated a few select up-and-coming marketplaces that cater to a more niche crowd. We tried to stay away from marketplaces like LensKart, etc. which, although provide a very specialised product/service, still work on a wholesale supply-demand model.
This list is more to do with cottage industry and home businesses like apparel design, handicrafts and decoratives. If you are planning to start an online business regarding any of these product categories, this list is something you should definitely check out.

Niche Marketplaces in India

1. CraftsVilla

CraftsVilla proclaims that it is an online marketplace to discover India. The website sells products like traditional apparels like sarees, hand crafted gift items, home decor and accessories. The products come from individual suppliers and artisans who are working with traditional Indian handicrafts and arts. While big conglomerates are always on the lookout for smaller marketplaces to swallow, CraftsVilla has been maintaining its niche.

2. AfDay

AfDay, or Art for Everyday, is an online marketplace started by founder Rashmi Daga, an IIM-A alumna. Her vision was to bring the Indian consumer closer to various designers and craftsmen who create art out of everyday objects. A great USP for AfDay is its Custom Made section, where you can request the designer to create customised products according to your taste.

3. ItsHandMade

ItsHandMade is a Bangalore based startup that specialises in selling handmade novelty items and accessories. You don’t need to be a wholesaler or a business owner to sell on ItsHandMade. You can be a one-time seller, or a seasonal seller or a perpetual seller according to your inclination. As long as you are not a mass producer or a retailer, you are good to go. This is good because you know that all products sold on this website are actually handmade!

4. Koovs

Koovs success story is as interesting as it is inspiring. Originally a group buying company, it mushroomed along with about 50 other online marketplaces in 2010 (Snapdeal was one of them). Owner Anant Nahata quickly changed gears and started from the ground up to recreate Koovs as India’s most popular high street niche fashion company. Today Koovs almost exclusively sources private labels and has created a firm place for itself in an online apparel industry where everyone sells the same names everywhere.

5. SaffronArt

SaffronArt is the biggest online marketplace for artworks in India. Like most art markets, it is auction based. It sources paintings and sculptures of artists of the likes of M.F.Hussain, S.H.Raza and even Amrita Shergil, all stalwarts of Indian art. And at the same time, you can find artworks of contemporary artists, folk artisans and handicraft specialists. and other collectables.